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Kaseya has working REvil decryption key
Uber found to have breached privacy of 1.2 million Aussies in 2016
SUB.CO's Oman-Australia subsea cable lands in Perth
Myer building semi-autonomous national distribution centre
Govt forced to release overdue COVIDSafe report
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Deakin University is modernising its software delivery
Podcast: Inside 'software engineering' and the adoption of DevOps, automation and standard tools.
Jun 28 2021 6:30AM
Woolworths revamps subscription delivery service for online orders
Introduces free and discounted same day options.
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Woolworths has five years of IT strategy and delivery validated
As long tail of investments and projects pay off.
Apr 1 2021 6:58AM
PwC to set up onshore delivery centre in Adelaide
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Dan Murphy's launches queue tracking technology
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Beirut Spring’s “Knee-Jerk” application of ultra free-markets to Spinny’s debate misses the bottom line
Mustapha is never at his best when talking about economics. Here he applies the simplistic Republican/laissez-faire rebut to the growing online petition to force/shame Spinney’s into raising workers salaries in Lebanon.
A simple google search (and a bit more work on the company’s profit margin!) illustrates that his main point is evidently way off base: He says – “Spinneys is not resisting the wage increases because it’s an evil corporation that eats poor people for breakfast. It is resisting them because raising the wages of thousands of employees will immediately be reflected in the prices of their goods. By marginally increasing the livelihood of some of its employees, it is effectively making tens of thousands of its customers, and by extension society at large, worse off.”
Well look at this:
“Gulf supermarket chain Spinneys will cross the $1bn revenue mark in two years and is looking to expand further in the Middle East, its chief executive said on Sunday.
Un-listed Spinneys, which began operations in 1924 in Egypt, has seen its revenues growing by around 20 percent since 2007 in Lebanon, while in Egypt it is seeing even larger figures, said chief executive Michael Wright.
“We anticipate that by 2013 our annualized revenue will be at $1bn,” he said.
Spinneys, in which Dubai private equity firm Abraaj Capital holds a controlling stake, is seeing strong growth at a time of regional turmoil in the Gulf Arab world and a slowdown in global economic growth.
— There it is – Spinney’s is growing exponentially, so actually Mustapha is wrong to buy and then reproduce the 100’s of years old canard that increasing wages necessarily means increasing prices… Spinney’s shareholders and management might just have to sacrifice a lil bit that’s all.

domain: news


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Baking literally burns off sugar calories
New Canadian research points to possible good news if you love dessert and are counting calories or are concerned about blood-sugar levels.
The research, from the University of British Columbia (UBC), suggests calories from sugar can be lost during the baking process, so what’s shown on a food label may not reflect calories consumed.
The results of the study, which was funded by a Canadian government grant through NSERC, were recently published in the Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences.
UBC food scientists measured the calories from sugar content before and after the browning process. They made two kinds of cake dough: one using invert sugar (a mixture of fructose and glucose) and another using sucrose (table sugar), and then compared the amount of sugar retained in each cake after baking.
The samples were then freeze-dried, ground into powder and put through a laboratory process using enzymes to mimic human digestion.
By comparing the sugar content before and after the baking process, the researchers found on average up to 20 per cent sugar loss in cakes made with invert sugar, according to the study’s lead author, Ningjian Liang, a food science PhD student at the time of the research.
“In cakes that were made from sucrose, which is table sugar, we observed around five to eight per cent of sugar loss,” she said.
In cake with invert sugar, researchers found the digestible or available calorie content decreased by 36 per cent, while in cake with sucrose, it declined by about 12 per cent.
UBC Prof. David Kitts, who also participated in the study, said, “Sugars are very reactive when they’re heated, and the products of these reactions may not be available to the host and, therefore, the calories associated with them are also not available to the host.”
He said the browning reactions convert the sugar into compounds that aren’t digestible or absorbed. These non-digestible products may be used by the microbiome or excreted, he said.
Kitts said all sort of studies have looked at the chemistry and biochemistry of non-enzymatic browning, but few have related it to this issue of calories.
“We just want people to be aware of the fact that calories can be lost during processing and that’s not necessarily identified on the food label because the food label is what’s in the formulation.”
Food scientist Yvonne Yuan, who wasn’t part of the study, found the research interesting.
The World Health Organization recommends that added sugars not exceed 10 per cent of total calories for adults and children, while Canadian health agencies suggest no more than 11 to 13 per cent of total calories, the researchers said.
“There is the concern of sugar intake in the diet, and we know that baked goods have perhaps been a concern in the most recent past around fats, but also now with the renewed food labelling concerns around sugars. It’s certainly timely,” said Yuan, an associate professor who teaches food chemistry at Ryerson University.
Photo credit: Ningjian Liang/UBC
Original article at: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/second-opinion-baking-calories-1.4690996


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Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The fourth edition of the fan festival to take place in the country, DreamHack Hyderabad will be held in the city of Hyderabad from Nov. 3 – 5.
Planned activities, events, competitions, and exhibitors will be announced at a later date, though NODWIN has put a heavy emphasis on competitions through a BYOD (bring your own device) area where pro and amateur players can compete). Listed sponsors as of this writing include Intel and Monster Energy.
Tickets for the three-day event are being sold through ticketing partners PayTM Insider and MeraEvents, and NODWiN is promising packages depending on the areas of interests of those who wish to attend, as well as discounts for those consumers who may have attended a previous DreamHack Hyderabad event.
More details about the event can be found here.


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Big news for one of the major labels! Universal Music Group (UMG) and Berlin-based generative AI sound wellness startup, Endel, have embarked on a "first-of-its-kind strategic relationship". Endel is making history by becoming the first algorithm to sign a distribution deal! The duo will employ Endel's exclusive AI technology to allow UMG artists to "reimagine" their music and create "science-backed soundscapes designed to enhance listeners' wellness". This innovative approach will result in new music as well as new editions of existing catalog music. According to Endel, functional music for tasks such as sleep, running, and relaxation is globally one of the most popular subcategories of music and boasts around 15 billion streams each month.
Endel uses artist-provided stems to create soundscapes that are backed by scientific insights into music's effects on our mind-state. This not only provides audiences with new and exciting ways to focus, relax, and sleep but also presents a unique opportunity for artists to generate additional revenue. Its unique technology collects personal inputs such as the user's movement, time of day, weather, heart rate, and location to create personalized soundscapes. With over a million monthly users and almost a million and a half hours of listening per month, Endel's ecosystem of soundscapes is on the rise.
The new partnership between UMG and Endel follows Endel's collaboration with Republic Records' James Blake, whose ambient Wind Down soundscape-turned-album came out in May 2022. The deal also comes on the heels of Amazon Music's collaborative playlist with Endel.
Later this year, UMG will launch the first series of soundscapes, created through the new agreement with Endel. The soundscapes, which "provide artists and rightsholders new opportunities to generate additional revenue for their catalogs," are "driven by scientific insights into how music affects our mind-state" and include previous collaborations with the likes of Miguel and Grimes. Endel is teaming up with Warner in order to release 20 albums over the course of this year. Quite an ambitious undertaking!
With this new service, artists can access AI technology that has been created ethically to expand and reimagine their work. This not only respects artists' copyrights, but also provides a new platform to enhance their creative expression. Michael Nash, Universal Music Group’s EVP and Chief Digital Officer, expressed his enthusiasm for the potential of ethical AI to support and enhance the creativity of their artists, labels, and songwriters. He commends Endel's patented AI technology and its scientific innovation for creating a new category of music that is just as artist-centric as it is audience engaging.
Oleg Stavitsky, Endel's CEO, is similarly thrilled with the project, calling the evolution of functional music a "dream come true." With unlimited potential for collaborative growth with labels like UMG, Endel is revolutionizing the way creative expression can evolve through AI.
Ultimately, the new partnership between Endel and Universal Music Group serves as a testament to the limitless potential of AI to enhance and improve our everyday experiences. This groundbreaking offering shows that, with purposeful intent and ethical innovation, technology can elevate humanity to unexpected heights.
Have you been searching for someone to help you with marketing your song? You’ve come to the right place! Organic Music Marketing offers a wide range of marketing and promotion services for your next song release including packages for Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and more! Click for more information.


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New labels will allow customers to discover information on a product's farmer and watch videos on the growing process
Spinneys will introduce a new first-of-its-kind labelling system that allows customers to trace their food “from farm to fork”, the supermarket announced on Tuesday.
The labels, done in partnership with agricultural assurance organisation GLOBALG.A.P., will initially be on a selected number of stone fruits, such as peaches, plums and apricots. Each product will include a “GlobalG..A.P number (GGN).
Shoppers will then be able to visit the GLOBALG.A.P. microsite shown on the GGN product label (www.ggn.org/spinneys) to discover information about the farmer that has grown the item and watch videos on the growing process, giving customers insight into how the food they are buying and eat came to be on the shelves at Spinneys.
“We are, and always will be, committed to providing the very best produce to our customers as we know from recent accompanied shops that this is hugely important to them,” said Spinneys CEO Matthew Frost.
“The launch of the GLOBALG.A.P. Number initiative is a big step for us in our mission to provide great value, high quality sustainably sourced-products in our stores, served by knowledgeable staff focussed on delivering brilliant customer service.
“Whilst we have a talented team of buyers who regularly meet farmers all over the world to learn about their growing practices and ensure that the food we’re putting on shelves is top quality, we do know our customers want greater visibility of where their food is coming from.
"We truly believe this new partnership is a great way for our customers to build even greater confidence in our sourcing methods,” he added.
In December, Spinneys announced that it is planning to open 18 new outlets as part of an expansion in UAE by 2020.
Additionally, it is investing $48 million (AED175m) in a new Spinneys headquarters located in Dubai’s Meydan area, which will feature a flagship store and on-site cookery school to assist culinary training and development. It is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2019.


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Allied Domecq in Spanish sale
Allied Domecq has agreed to sell its 50% interest in Panrico to its Spanish partner for e120 million (£80 million), one of the last parts of its food interests to be disposed of.
Interests led by Alberto Costafredo, chief executive of Panrico, are raising the cash to buy out Allied, but the company says that financing and reorganisation could mean the deal is not completed until late this year.
Costafredo has agreed to pay a further e 30 million in six years or earlier if he sells or floats the Spanish bakery.
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People looking to toast American independence with adult beverages this weekend can visit restaurants that have recently reopened or shop local package stores, which have remained open throughout the coronavirus pandemic. But another option has become very popular: alcohol delivery. And that's been a boon for Boston-based company Drizly.
Drizly has been growing for seven years, but it's never had a stretch like the past few months. The company says stay-at-home advisories drove sales up 400% in May. And while demand is starting to plateau, CEO Cory Rellas predicts buying habits are changing for good.
"You had a lot of folks who have had good experiences with other categories shopping online, who now experience alcohol and are very easy adopters," he said. "And they will probably remain 'sticky.' "
Benefitting from a pandemic is an uneasy feeling, Rellas acknowledged, and "we try to approach that with humility because there are such difficult times ongoing today."
Its surging revenue will help Drizly create jobs, Rellas said. He plans to add about 70 people to a team of 200 this year.
The company, which has raised almost $70 million of venture capital, according to Crunchbase, has "no fundraising news" for now, Rellas said. "We've been really focused on [operations], but with success on that side and really solving for the customers that we serve, I think that will come with it," he added.


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China’s Steel Exports Plunge Amid New Tariffs
9 December 2016
China’s steel exports plummeted for the fourth straight month in November, showing that supplies from the world’s largest producer were wilting under a barrage of trade measures by other countries.
Its exports of steel products in November dropped 16% compared with a year ago to 8.12 million tons, according to Chinese trade data released Thursday. Exports from January to November fell 1% on year to 100.68 million tons.
China, which accounts for around half the world’s steel output, has been flooding markets overseas with cheap steel as domestic demand has slowed. The U.S., Europe, India and other countries have imposed trade measures to stem inflows of Chinese steel to protect local producers.
This year, the U.S. imposed new tariffs, as high as 266%, on Chinese steel. China vigorously denies the dumping claims, but leaders of its steel industry pledged to cut back capacity last year amid the outcry.
“These measures are still in place. It’s unlikely that other countries are going to remove the measures anytime soon,” said Rajiv Biswas chief Asia-Pacific economist for IHS. “Chinese steel exports will continue to face pressure.”
A boom in China’s housing sales this year has alleviated some of the demand pressures on its steel industry, but its sales are likely to slow next year, with about 20 Chinese cities tightening loans and sales to check speculative buyers. Around 15% of China’s steel demand comes from housing.
The combination of falling exports and slower housing demand is likely to lower steel prices in China and erode margins of its steel mills, which had returned to profitability this year, Mr. Biswas said. China’s steel industry had a combined loss of 64.5 billion yuan ($9.4 billion) in 2015.
Shanghai steel-rebar futures were trading nearly flat at 3,225 yuan a ton in Thursday-afternoon trading, reversing sharp gains this week amid efforts by China to crack down on illegal production of low-quality steel from scrap in Hebei province, the country’s largest steel-producing province, Argonaut Research said.
China has embarked on a program this year to cut back steel output capacity by up to 150 million tons by 2020. Nearly 25% of China’s steel-production capacity is excess. About 10% of the excess capacity has been pared back.
Imports of iron-ore from January to November were up 9.2% on year, while imports during November were up 12% on year, showing that demand for the critical steelmaking material was still robust among China’s steel mills.


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Emergence of smartphone quenched their long drought, but not everyone could afford to buy costly data plans and phones. With Reliance Jio, this last chain of the bondage has been broken. The man is now free to watch anything he likes at a time of his choice and in privacy, which no other medium (TV or cinema halls) could provide.
Growing smartphone penetration in India and crashing prices is a big reason for more and more content to be seen on the mobile devices. Now by using a simple dongle, the phone can also connect to any TV to display live TV via the apps. The dongles, which are sold separately, come in two varieties, one with an RCA port and the other with an HDMI port to cater for all types of TV sets.
According to the Video Index research, we will see mobile video plays reach 60% of all plays by the end of this year, especially as iPhone 8 and Samsung S8 shipments have commenced. The Video Index also found that the world’s love of long-form content – content longer than 20 minutes watched on Smartphones, tablets, PCs and connected TVs has exceeded 50%.
Emergence of OTT (over the top television) is mainly due to highly mobile people i.e. commuters who can use commuting time constructively. Every stakeholder of the broadcasting industry, whether it is TV channels or DTH operators, started to launch their own OTT service to keep relevant in this modern video age.
Twitter to flood with tons of videos:
But what has surprised the industry the most is the unusual interest in video by global social media giants such as Facebook and twitter. In September this year, Twitter has launched 35 premium live and in-stream video content deals across sports, news and entertainment after partnering with Cricbuzz, Premier Futsal India, NDTV, Network18, Yash Raj Films and Red Chillies Entertainment. This mutually lucrative partnership will bring hundreds of hours of new exclusive video and live original programming, live games and events to the platform.
According to Twitter revenue & operations Global VP Matthew Derella, “Live is at the core of Twitter. In Q2, we streamed over 1,200 hours of live premium content globally from leading brands across sports, esports, news, and entertainment. Asia Pacific is the growth engine of Twitter and we could not be prouder to extend our success with both live streaming and in-stream premium video content in the region.”
Twitter Asia Pacific MD Maya Hari added, “Digital video consumption is growing rapidly in Asia Pacific and estimated to grow to over a billion by 2020. Introducing over 35 live and in-stream video sponsorship deals today to APAC advertisers will strengthen the success of our only-on-Twitter experience in the region and globally, combining high quality streaming video with conversation on what’s happening in the world right now.”
FB to compete with TV:
In June 2017, Facebook declared that it will produce original TV-quality content which will be high-quality television series and gaming shows to broadcast on its platform. To achieve this objective, the social media giant is ready to pay up to $3 million per episode for centrepiece shows. Facebook, which has around two billion monthly users worldwide, is working on the project with a small group of partners and hopes to start putting out episodes of its forthcoming series by the end of the summer. It will have both the runtime and the budget of full-fledged cable TV productions.
Facebook’s plan is that Watch, and all of the original content it buys for it, will make TV, like everything on its platform, a social experience. Product management leader Daniel Danker said “You discover videos through your friends. You often find yourself discussing videos with friends. Video has this amazing power to bring people together and build community.” All of Watch’s shows have comments enabled and some are incorporated into Facebook Groups.
Not only Facebook, Netflix, Amazon and the online television platform Hulu, a joint venture by Disney, Comcast, 21st Century and Time Warner, have entered into content production deal. YouTube and Apple are also creating their own content but on a more modest scale. Apple Inc. hired Sony Pictures Television co-presidents Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg earlier this month to lead its video programming efforts.
Facebook hungry for IPL:
In the first week of September, Facebook showed an unusual mammoth appetite to grab the digital rights with its ` 3,900-cr IPL bid. Although it has lost the bid to Star, it shows how serious it is to live-stream the sportive content to a video hungry audience. As a matter of fact, Facebook’s bid of ` 3,900 crore was the highest for the digital-only rights of the IPL. Airtel and Reliance Jio, who also bid for the India digital rights, bet lower at `3,280 crore and ` 3,075.72 crore respectively. It was only Star India’s consolidated bid of ` 16,347.51 crore for TV and digital rights that put down Facebook from grabbing the rights.
The most worrying aspect for the broadcasters is that Facebook could have a video content plan as part of its growth strategy in the US and other parts of the world including India. Do TV broadcasters have any plan to contain the advances of Facebook and twitter?
According to media sources, Facebook is ready to spend $1 billion in original content over the next year. Will this not give a tough competition to YouTube which is offering content from everywhere and sharing advertising revenue with content creators?
Twitter and Facebook’s video ambitions are present and clear dangers for TV broadcasters as well as DTH operators. Hope, they are listening.


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blog I’m honestly not sure how many people care at this point — are hardware keyboards still a thing? Is BlackBerry still a thing? But in case you do care — perhaps you’ve never been able to accept software keyboards as legitimate, or just don’t trust other brands, given BlackBerry’s history in large corporations and in government — you would no doubt be interested to know that the BlackBerry Q10 is shortly to launch in Australia. A media release issued by the Canadian company today tells us:
The BlackBerry Q10 smartphone is expected to be available for purchase with competitive pricing plans from carrier partners Optus and Telstra on July 1 and 2, respectively, and from retailers Harvey Norman and JB HiFi.
Matthew Ball, Managing Director for Australia at BlackBerry said, “We are excited to be working with our partners to bring the first BlackBerry 10 smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard to customers in Australia. The BlackBerry Q10 smartphone offers customers the power and performance of the BlackBerry 10 platform in a signature BlackBerry design.”
Given the fact that pretty much all the momentum in the smartphone business at the moment appears to be behind Apple and Samsung, and even major brands like HTC are struggling, one does very much wonder how much the Q10 even matters. I mean, everyone talks about the fact that there are “BlackBerry die-hards” out there, especially those who won’t give up physical keyboards, but are there really? I haven’t come across anyone who’s willingly been carrying around a BlackBerry with a physical keyboard for some time now — those that have them seem to have had them enforced by their businesses, and often carry around an iPhone on the side for personal use.
I’m keeping an open mind regarding the Q10, and I’ve asked for a review model. However, the device has also been out overseas for some time, and the Verge’s review in late April comes to mind as I consider the Q10’s launch in Australia. The site wrote at the time that for the faithful, the Q10 was “the ultimate BlackBerry”. However, it also described the handset as “the best horse cart in the age of the automobile”, and pointed out the fact that touch-screen keyboards were now ubiquitous and arguably as good as physical keyboards. I suspect it will be hard to disagree with that summation when it comes to the Q10.
Image credit: BlackBerry


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Bid adieu to the Twitter Fail Whale
Anyone who has used Twitter extensively will know that, on occasion, the service can become overloaded. When this happens, Twitter’s web client is replaced by the famous – or infamous – Fail Whale, a blissful-looking aquatic mammal being hoisted out of the sea by birds. But no more – the Fail Whale is dead.
Twitter’s senior vice president of engineering Christopher Fry told Wired that the fail whale has been retired because “it did represent a time when I don’t think we lived up to what the world needed Twitter to be”. The service, Fry contends, is far more reliable now, and thus the Fail Whale and its negative connotations are no longer suitable. The image you’ll see if the service does go over capacity? Robots. [Source: Wired]
Lumen smart bulb takes on Philips Hue
Philips Hue isn’t the only smart lightbulb on the block. The Lumen TL800 from Taba is just £40 apiece and fully controllable through an iOS device and Bluetooth (an Android app is on the way): using an iPhone or iPad, you can set the light to pretty much any colour imaginable, as well as access a number of special functions like a gradually-increasing wake-up light and a rapidly changing party mode.
The bulb lasts for ten years or 30,000 hours of use, and Taba says it’s as bright as a traditional 60W bulb. It’ll fit in a standard screw fit lamp. You can buy the Lumen TL800 here.
Spotify Connect now available on Android
Spotify Connect, the music streaming service’s take on Apple AirPlay, has finally landed on Android devices. The updated Spotify app allows anyone with a Premium account and set of Spotify Connect-compatible speakers to play music wirelessly from their smartphone or tablet. It uses your home’s Wi-Fi connection, which gives it a range advantage over Bluetooth streaming. [Source: Pocket-lint]
ZTE working on smartwatch that’ll only work with ZTE phones
Chinese telecoms giant ZTE is the latest company to hop aboard the smartwatch bandwagon, following the likes of Samsung, Sony and Qualcomm into the wonderful world of wrist-mounted devices that let you check your smartphone notifications.
A spokesman for the company told the Wall Street Journal that it is planning to launch a smartwatch offering similar functionality to the Samsung Galaxy Gear but at a lower price.
The watch will launch in China in the second quarter of 2014, but ZTE plans to bring it to Europe and the US later. One thing that could hinder its popularity outside of China is that the watch will be compatible only with ZTE smartphones, which are not particularly common in the West. [Source: WSJ]


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China cotton futures purchases add to market uncertainty
Chinese contracts have been purchased covering more than 361,000 bales of US cotton for 2019-20
Cotton industry analysts say the clothing industry should not overreact to a major hike in Chinese cotton futures contracts after years of stockpiling the fibre by China buyers – even though they accept market uncertainty has been driving up prices.
Contracts have been purchased covering more than 361,000 bales of US cotton for 2019-20, according to US Department of Agriculture data, which "would be enough to make 400 million T-shirts," the Wall Street Journal calculates. It adds: "China has never booked that much cotton that far in advance at this time of year, in data going back to 1998" and has now become a "major consumer" of US cotton.
Coupled with ongoing drought conditions in the key cotton production area of Texas, the move has pushed prices up to a six-year high, it reported.
Indeed, prices as measured by the Cotlook A index were near 94 cents/lb a month ago – while the latest values have been over 100 cents/lb, marking the first time since March 2012 that the A Index has been over a dollar, according to Cotton Incorporated.
However, the North Carolina based international research body advises the clothing industry not to overplay the significance of the Chinese deals.
The projected exports of US cotton for the current crop year (2017/2018) are 11.6m bales; putting the volumes in question at just over 3% of total US cotton exports.
"To put it in perspective, during a one-week period earlier this month [June], the US exported 600,000 bales to countries around the world, including China," a spokesman told just-style.
Moreover, trade tensions between Beijing and Washington could impede future commerce, with the Chinese government announcing 25% duties on uncombed cotton from the US on Saturday (16 June) as a response to US President Donald Trump announcing a raft of new tariffs on Chinese imports a day earlier.
However, these actions are deepening market uncertainty.
China sharply reduced its imports from all origins in recent years as it encouraged domestic mills to use government-controlled reserve stocks over imports. However, given the drawdown in reserve stocks over the past few years, China is at the point where it needs to begin to import significantly more cotton.
A separate note published by Cotton Inc earlier in June stresses the fact the Chinese government has also reported "that plans are in place to increase import quota, with officials indicating that sliding-scale quota can be released in the near future," would play a crucial role in determining the course of next crop year's cotton market.
"These comments highlight a central source of uncertainty for the global cotton market during the 2018/19 crop year, which is how much more China cotton may import. With dry conditions affecting the largest growing region of the largest exporting country (West Texas, US), the possibility of stronger than forecast Chinese imports underline the possibility of lower than expected ending stocks outside of China," said Cotton Inc.
The latest US Department of Agriculture (USDA) foreign agricultural service data shows the US 2018-19 season-average farm price for cotton stands at US$0.70 cents per pound following what it describes as "substantial developments comparatively late in the marketing year."
For 2018/19, production is forecast down, with declines for China, Pakistan and Australia partially offset by an increase by Brazilian producers. Consumption and trade are forecast effectively unchanged.
"The A-index and the spot price have both risen appreciably in recent weeks, continuing a 3-year upward trend," the USDA report said, suggesting it was influenced by rising global demand and "speculation regarding possible release of additional import quota for China."
China itself is facing a decline in harvest expectation from 27m bales in 2018/19 to 26.5m, Cotton Inc noted.
Brant Wilbourn, associate director, commodity and regulatory activities, Texas Farm Bureau, adds: "Of course the increase in demand for cotton is great for producers and should help their bottom line, but they need some rain as well. As for clothing prices, that's going to depend on different things from the mill level on up to retail."


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On 12 June 2018 the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled on a question referred from the Dutch court regarding the Louboutin ‘red soles’ trade mark.
As we explained in an earlier blog regarding this case, Louboutin registered the red soles of its high heels as a trade mark. The registration was challenged in the Dutch courts by a Dutch high street chain, Van Haren, who had been sued by Louboutin for selling high heeled shoes with red soles. During the proceedings a question arose as to the type of trade mark Louboutin had registered and specifically whether it could be classed as a “shape mark”.
The distinction is important because a trade mark cannot be registered if it consists exclusively of a shape which “gives substantial value” to the goods covered by the registration. If Louboutin’s trade mark was found to consist exclusively of a shape giving substantial value to the shoes then its trade mark would be deemed invalid.
The Dutch court asked for guidance from the CJEU as to what “shape” means and specifically whether it could include other properties such as colour.
The CJEU has ruled that the shape of a product or of part of a product plays a role in creating an outline for colour. However, where the registration of the trade mark does not seek to protect that shape but solely to protect the application of a colour to a specific part of that product, this would not be a “shape mark”.
The court found that the main element of Louboutin’s trade mark is the colour red. In light of the fact that the trade mark does not seek to protect the shape of the sole of a shoe but instead the application of the colour to that specific part of the shoe, the CJEU held that Louboutin’s trade mark is not a shape mark.
This is in contrast to the advocate general’s view that Louboutin’s trade mark was a shape mark.
This will be seen by Louboutin as a significant win. The ruling confirms that Louboutin’s trade mark is not a shape mark and therefore is not invalid on the basis that it does not consist exclusively of a shape.
The case will now be passed back to the Dutch court for a final ruling following the CJEU’s clarification of the law.
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Facekinis are a beautiful thing and we bet you had absolutely no idea
You’re probably familiar with the recent controversy over a Muslim woman being forced to remove her burkini in France, right? The situation was outrageous, and there were plenty of brilliant responses to it, too.
Ready for action!
But before the word “burkini” entered the global stage, there was a thing called the “facekini” – a literal bathing suit for your face (although, it’s really more of a sunshield for the skin on your face) – and its popularity in China is still going strong. According to the New York Times, this unique swimming accessory is popular on China’s coastal town of Qingdao where women wear it to protect their skin from the sun.
The look may surprise you, but to Chinese beachgoers, it’s a pretty common thing – and frankly, we’re kinda digging it, too!


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Oxford Road Container Park
Bruntwood has submitted plans for 12 pop-up retail and leisure units next to Manchester Technology Centre and under the Mancunian Way flyover on Oxford Road.
The scheme will be operated and managed by the team behind Bruntwood’s Afflecks emporium in the Northern Quarter.
The pop-up offering is intended to act as a precursor to the retail set to be built in the £750m Circle Square development.
CGI produced by Virtual Planit


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Star Wars' fan-base is in the "tens of millions," EA has said, and BioWare's MMO The Old Republic will take advantage of the weight of numbers by its commitment to quality.
"We think the potential could be gigantic," EA Games president Frank Gibeau told VG247 in San Francisco last week.
"The universe of Star Wars is endless and has tens of millions of fans, and BioWare doesn't get out of bed in the morning unless they can make a 90-rated game.
"The idea of a story-driven RPG set in the Star Wars universe from those guys is a pretty powerful idea."
Gibeau added that the game is a bigger concern than Mythic's Warhammer Online.
"Actually it is," he answered when asked specifically if was a "bigger project" than the recently-released WoW competitor.
"It's a massive undertaking and we're very excited."
There's no release date on The Old Republic as yet.


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The Detroit automaker said Tuesday that the 15 new electric vehicles, part of the 50 new vehicles it is introducing to China’s massive market in the next 18 years, will be Lincolns and Fords. Its joint venture with Anhui Zotye Automobile, announced last month, will produce a separate range of electric vehicles under a new brand.
China has the world’s most aggressive government plans to promote electric cars. It’s stepped up pressure on automakers to accelerate development of electric cars by raising the first-year target for a planned system of production quotas.
Source: Tech CNBC
Ford boosts electric push in China as Beijing transforms market


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In many parts of the world, the toy industry is currently struggling to sell their toys. With our current situation and the addition of Corona crisis, video games are getting more popular and declining birth rates are among other problems. Accordingly, the growth of the industry has been limited for years. It is important for toy manufacturers to pursue a digital strategy and to be present online. As a result, more and more toys have digital features. According to most parents, the combination of analogue and digital is the best way.
Toy Industries Growth Is Limited
In Europe, for example, the toy industry has been struggling for years. Between the year 2013 and 2018, the growth of the industry was 2% and in the rest of the world 4%, according to reports. There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, the number of births in Western Europe is falling. This means that the potential target group continues to shrink. In addition to that, video games are getting more and more popular. Classic toy manufacturers have not yet found a patent recipe to be at least similarly or as interesting as video games. As a of the current situation, such as Corona crisis, the industries are struggling once again.
Are you looking for a brand new pogo stick? Visit
Toys Are Being Bought Online
Children’s toys being bought online is rising. In the past years, one in five children’s toys were ordered in the digital world, compared to almost one in three in 2019. Surveys show that users of such offers primarily appreciate the opportunity to compare different providers and their prices online. It is often possible to take advantage of cheap discounts here. They said that they appreciate shopping from the comfort of their own homes because it is much more convenient for them than going to a toy store.
Toys Are Becoming More Digital
Today, the toys that children play with are very different from those of previous generations. This is because the children of the millennials grew up in digital era and the Internet from birth. They are very familiar with new technical possibilities and use them in their everyday life. Accordingly, they expect their toys to meet technical standards and also have digital components. The toy makers are already reacting to this development in order to arouse interest among their target group and not to be overwhelmed by the video game industry.
A very good example of this development is LEGO. The company launched “Hidden Side” in 2019. This is a digital game world in which children and young people play with their analogue building blocks on the one hand and move around the Internet on the other. Mattel’s game “Pictionary Air” is also based on a combination of analogue and digital content. In this game, players draw figures into the air, which then appear digitally on a smartphone or tablet. The others then have to guess what is being painted. It is to be expected that in the coming years even more toy manufacturers will discover digitalization for themselves and adapt their toys or develop new offers.
Analogue games and digital content offered by the toy manufacturers is therefore appreciated by most parents. This approach offers the opportunity to play in a classic way, but to establish a connection to the digital world and its possibilities. However, some of the parents are very strict when choosing. They control the different game worlds and features very closely and get an idea of what their children are playing with. The parents are concerned because in many games there is a depiction of violence. Therefore, they are specifically choosing toys where this is not the case and where they expect positive effects on the development of their children.


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The new XK's hard-edged muscular shape retains Jaguar's traditional cat-like sleekness, but it loses the rounded softness of the previous version.
In many ways, the XK can be seen as a less expensive Aston-Martin. For the time being, at least, the two are corporate siblings. (Ford Motor Co. has said it plans to sell Aston-Martin.) There's clearly a resemblance to the eye, but the XK also offers similarly laid-back, unruffled British-style performance.


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|By Marketwired .||
|July 28, 2014 08:00 AM EDT||
EDISON, NJ -- (Marketwired) -- 07/28/14 -- Star Micronics America, a leading worldwide manufacturer of POS and customer engagement technology, will be exhibiting at the RSPA RetailNOW 2014 convention at Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from August 3rd through the 6th.
RetailNOW is the premier convention and expo for all professionals in the retail technology industry. The event is where the industry meets each year to become educated on new business trends, emerging technologies, and best business practices along with exploring a diverse exhibition of the latest products in the retail technology industry.
Located at booth #707, Star will be showcasing their new SMD2 cash drawer series and expanded Bluetooth and WebPRNT models for mPOS. Stop by the booth to learn more and also enter for a chance to win an Apple® iPad mini.
Star is also excited to announce the release of its new white color option on select printers. "Image branding positively impacts retail store sales and drives customer loyalty," says Christophe Naasz, Director of Business Development at Star Micronics. "Star's white printers accent store décor and convey the values of the retail brand visually."
Representatives from Star will be involved with several events throughout the convention:
Monday, Aug. 4th at 10:15am: Please support Christine Duffy, Senior Sales Director, for her second term seat on the RSPA Board of Directors at the RSPA Membership Meeting. Your vote is greatly valued and graciously accepted.
Monday, Aug. 4th at 3:30pm: David Salisbury, Director of Global Marketing, is scheduled to run two educational sessions titled "Star Micronics Presents the Future of POS."
Wednesday, Aug. 6th at 10:00am: David Salisbury will be presenting "VAR's, Your Time is NOW!" as part of RSPA RetailNOW's Education Sessions.
Wednesday, Aug. 6th at 11:00am: Mike Hanson, Vice President, will take part in the VSR panel discussion, "The State of the Point of Sale Market."
Star Micronics will be sharing their booth with solution partners Aldelo, Givex, and TimeForge. Aldelo, makers of Aldelo Touch, an iPad® restaurant POS software, will demo its integration with Star's SM-T300i portable Bluetooth printer and DK-AirCash wireless cash management solutions. Givex, which offers cloud-based POS software and loyalty programs, will show their application integrated with Star's TSP650II LAN receipt printer. TimeForge, who specializes in labor management software for retail stores, restaurants, and the hospitality industry, will also show their solution using Star's AsuraCPRNT. To round out the booth, Star Micronics will feature tablet stand partners, including Heckler Design, MMF POS, and nCLOSE Enclosures.
To learn more about Star Micronics printers, visit www.starmicronics.com.
About Star Micronics America
Star Micronics America, Inc. is a subsidiary of Star Micronics Company Ltd., one of the largest POS and customer engagement technology manufacturers world-wide. Star Micronics also manufactures high-precision machine tools and precision parts. Star Micronics Company Ltd. is ranked as one of the Top 50 "Most Stable" Japanese companies on the Japanese Nikkei. For more information, visit www.starmicronics.com or call 800-782-7636.
Oct. 7, 2015 05:15 AM EDT Reads: 522
In today's digital world, change is the one constant. Disruptive innovations like cloud, mobility, social media, and the Internet of Things have reshaped the market and set new standards in customer expectations. To remain competitive, businesses must tap the potential of emerging technologies and markets through the rapid release of new products and services. However, the rigid and siloed structures of traditional IT platforms and processes are slowing them down – resulting in lengthy delivery ...
Oct. 7, 2015 05:00 AM EDT Reads: 965
According to Forrester, public cloud platforms are evolving, blurring the lines between Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS) in order to satisfy the needs of enterprises and widen their appeal to developers. In The Forrester Wave™: Enterprise Public Cloud Platforms, Q4 2014, Forrester evaluates the 16 most significant Enterprise Public Cloud Platforms and details how each vendor fulfills the 19 evaluation criteria points.
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SYS-CON Events announced today that IBM Cloud Data Services has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 17th Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. IBM Cloud Data Services offers a portfolio of integrated, best-of-breed cloud data services for developers focused on mobile computing and analytics use cases.
Oct. 6, 2015 10:00 PM EDT Reads: 660


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Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. said that its same-store sales rose 7.6% in April, boosted by Easter-driven growth in front-end sales.
The company’s total sales rose 8.8% to $6.49 billion in the month of April, up from $5.96 billion in the same period of last year. Pharmacy sales accounted for 64.5% of total sales for April.
Customer traffic in comparable stores increased 2.6% while basket size increased 5.6% The company said its results benefitted from a later Easter this year, which fell on April 20 compared with March 31 last year.
Fiscal 2014 year-to-date sales for the first eight months were $50.88 billion, an increase of 5.8% from $48.08 billion in fiscal 2013.
Walgreens opened eight stores during April, including two relocations, acquired six and closed two.


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Lockdown: UP Govt To Door Deliver Milk, Medicines, Groceries
In the wake of the nationwide 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night in his televised address to the nation, the...
In the wake of the nationwide 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night in his televised address to the nation, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has assured citizens that it would arrange the door delivery of vegetables, milk, fruits, medicines and other essential commodities, according to the news agency, ANI. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reassured citizens on the steps being taken proactively by his government.
The UP Chief Minister, addressing citizens of the state, said that these essential items "will be delivered to your doorsteps for which we have identified more than 10,000 vehicles." Yogi Adityanath further appealed to people of the state not to step outdoors and go to the markets to buy essential items.
From tomorrow vegetables, milk, fruits, medicines and other essential commodities will be delivered to your door steps for which we have identified more than 10,000 vehicles. I appeal to you to not go to market to buy essential items: CM Yogi Adityanath https://t.co/JXZLx8Dzyq— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 24, 2020
Yogi Adityanath told the 23 crore citizens of Uttar Pradesh that he would like to assure them that the state has enough stock of essential items like vegetables, milk and medicines, among other things. The UP chief minister further appealed to the people of the state to remain indoors and maintain social distance for their own safety and that of their family members.
I would like to assure the 23 crore people of Uttar Pradesh that we have enough stock of essential items like vegetables,milk,medicines etc. For the safety of you and your family don't step out of your houses & maintain social distance: CM Yogi Adityanath. pic.twitter.com/0lsJ3K1tgO— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 24, 2020
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his televised address on Tuesday night announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown in the wake of the spread of COVID-19. He also appealed to citizens to stay indoors.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a set of guidelines on Tuesday night spelling out bans and exemptions so that citizens understand what stays open and what would be closed during this 21-day period.


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What you need to know
- Apple has announced a 4-for-1 stock split for investors.
- Current shareholders as of August 24 will receive three additional shares.
- Post-split trading begins on August 31.
As part of its massive Q3 2020 earnings announcement, Apple has announced a 4-for-1 stock split. This split will see current shareholders as of August 24, 2020, receive three additional shares of Apple stock for every one share they already have.
Split-adjusted trading of Apple's stock will begin on August 31.
Apple says that this move is to make the stock more accessible to a larger pool of investors. From Apple:
The Board of Directors has also approved a four-for-one stock split to make the stock more accessible to a broader base of investors. Each Apple shareholder of record at the close of business on August 24, 2020, will receive three additional shares for every share held on the record date, and trading will begin on a split-adjusted basis on August 31, 2020.
As noted by Bloomberg, this is the fifth stock split in the company's history, with the most recent taking place in 2014. Apple's shares have shot up past $400 a share after reporting strong Q3 2020 results.
Apple reported a stronger than expected third quarter for 2020. The company saw a revenue of $59.7 billion, substantial increases year-over-year in sales of Macs, iPads, and wearables, while iPhone sales saw a negligible increase.
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The United Arab Emirates –– Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology announced that it has appointed Milena Elmasoğlu as the new General Manager of the company’s Personal Health business in the Middle East and Turkey.
Ozlem Fidanci, Chief Executive Officer of Philips Middle East and Turkey said, “We are excited to welcome Milena Elmasoğlu to this important role to maintain and grow the business across the region. Elmasoğlu is well positioned to lead our Personal Health business, with a proven track record of growing the business coupled with great financial performance, increasing market share and driving innovation.
Elmasoğlu, has been working with the company for 21 years, and was instrumental in driving numerous successful projects in multiple markets.
Milena Elmasoğlu, General Manager of Philips Personal Health Middle East and Turkey also noted, “I am proud to be leading the Personal Health business across the Middle East and Turkey region. The digital evolution has enabled consumers to become empowered and take greater control of their personal health and overall well-being. At Philips, we continue to play a key role in personalizing healthcare, and more specifically driving disease prevention through our innovations and products. The ultimate aim is to support individuals to take charge of their own health and make healthier choices every day.”
After graduated from Marmara University in 1999, Elmasoğlu began her career at Philips. She quickly moved up the ranks and assumed several managerial roles across a number of functions such as Marketing, New Channel Sales and Services across the company’s Consumer Products Division. In addition, Elmasoğlu held the positions of 6 Sigma International Project Manager, Philips Customer Services for the Middle East and Turkey region and Commercial Marketing Director. She was recently the General Manager of Philips Personal Health in Turkey.
For more information:
Türk Philips Ticaret A.Ş
0216 636 15 88
FleishmanHillard Middle East
About Royal Philips:
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading healthcare technology company dedicated to improve people's lives, focus on getting more effective results in all areas at health cycle, from healthy living and prophylaxis to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips uses advanced technology, clinical results and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Philips is the market leader in diagnostic imaging, imaging-focused therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as healthy living and home care. Having its headquarters in Netherlands and employing approximately 77 thousand people with its sales and services in more than 100 countries, Philips has achieved a sales revenue of 18.1 billion euros in healthcare technologies in 2018. For more information, please visit: www.philips.com/newscenter.
© Press Release 2019


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All of you who plan to get yourself more expensive ZenFone 2 powered by 4GB RAM now may have another option to think over as Asus released a new cheaper variant of the ZenFone 2 with 4GB RAM under the hood. But since nothing comes for free these days, beware as the lower price brings also downgraded parameters on the device. In order to cut down the price of the 4GB RAM model of the ZenFone 2, the Chinese manufacturer decided to reduce its internal storage space to 16GB.
We don’t see many Asus phones in this part of the world. It seems that the Taiwanese manufacturer prefers other markets and as a result US customers have very limited choice when it comes Asus-made handsets. To be more exact, the company sold only two smartphones in the US in the past – the Padfone X and Padfone X Mini. Starting today, however, a third device is joining the team. Called Asus Zenfone 2, the unlocked phone is now on sale in the US via third-party retailers.
Yesterday, ASUS officially unveiled the newest addition to Zenfone lineup during their CES event. Featuring higher-end specs, the ASUS Zenfone 2 packing 4GB dual-channel RAM with budget-friendly price seems to be a serious rival to smartphones offered by HTC and LG. What’s more interesting, carrying improved camera options and a high screen-to-body ratio the Zenfone 2 is the world’s first phone to go on sale equipped with 4GB dual-channel RAM, which definitely makes the device an eye-catching offer.


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Two interesting visuals from the latest sighting of 2016 Camaros undergoing testing (see photo set)!
1) These new prototypes had some new camouflage covering the entire roof–all the way from the A- to the C-pillars. Until now, every Camaro prototype spotted testing has had the area between the A- and B-pillars uncovered (except for the graphic wrap). Some of the cars could be Camaro convertibles, or perhaps even T-Tops.
2) An M-plated (manufacturer plates) 1980s Camaro was undergoing testing right in the thick of a proper General Motors test group in the Rocky Mountains.
See the entire photo gallery after the jump.


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NZ Herald 26 June 2015
About 34,000 Auckland households will pay more than $500 when they open their latest rates bills in six weeks, according to council figures.
Council estimates released today show about one-in-13 of the city’s 454,000 households will pay more than $500 and of those 9000 households will pay more than $1000.
The figures reveal the impact of Mayor Len Brown’s controversial new budget, which was passed by a single vote yesterday.
The bottom line is an average 9.9 per cent rise in residential rates costed at $214 for the average household.
Today, the council released the estimated impact of rates changes for the new financial year, starting on July 1.
Family First national director Bob McCoskrie said it was time councils, including Auckland Council, followed family and made sacrifices.
“They have not had the luxury of raising their income by 10% with a simple vote. They should not pass on out-of-control spending to families. It’s time that they too tightened their belt.,” he said.
“For many families, an increase in rates will put them under huge pressure – an increased cost which they cannot simply pass on to others, as councils can do.”
“Families, local bodies and government cannot simply spend spend spend without accountability for that spending and without facing the consequences of an out-of-control budget – family or otherwise,” Mr McCoskrie said.


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Citroen Nemo, Peugeot Bipper and Fiat Fiorino share top honours
The new Citroen Nemo is the new International Van of the Year 2009.
The Nemo shared the title with the Bipper and Fiorino – the Peugeot and Fiat versions of the same van.
There was further success for Citroen. The new Berlingo van took second place in the awards.
This is the second successive year that Citroen has won this award: Dispatch is currently International Van of the Year 2008.
Citroen is also the first manufacturer to gain first and second places in the same year.
The panel of judges, from Europe


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Porsche did it. Bentley did it. Range Rover really did it. Now Lamborghini is gearing up to introduce its third model to the world in the form of a big fast all-wheel-drive “sport” SUV that may very well betray the company’s V12 roots.
According to the fine fellows over at Autocar, Chief executive Stephan Winkelmann and R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani “confirmed” that a twin-turbo V8 powerplant is indeed in the works for their new sport SUV slated for 2018, likely based off of the Urus concept.
The Italian company’s first 4x4 since the LM002 will eschew the naturally aspirated V10 and V12 units which power the current Huracan and Aventador sports cars in favour of a twin-turbocharged eight-cylinder unit with a cubic capacity of 4.0 litres.
While there is no direct quote from anyone at Lamborghini specifically saying the words “twin-turbo V8,” the possibility of a turbo V8 engine has been brought up to us before, and it makes sense to have a powerplant capable of a lot of torque for the “Utility,” and a lot of high end power coming from the addition of two turbochargers for the “Sport” part of Raging Bull’s SUV.
Update: We reached out to Lamborghini and they confirmed that the twin-turbo V8 will be the powerplant when the car goes into production in 2018.
Reggiani said: “In acceleration and in off-road capability it is really important to have a high level of torque, in order to move as quickly as possible and in an off-road situation to have the ability to come out of a critical situation easily. We decided that a turbo for a super sport SUV is the best choice. The engine must be light and powerful and with the capability with this torque at low revs to allow the car to be ‘elastic’ in every type of condition.”
The engine would be unique only to Lamborghini when it’s introduced, and Autocar reports that an early model with the twin-turbo V8 is already running tests and impressing alongside it’s high-end luxury rivals, including the new Bentley Bentayga with which the Lamborghini will share similar underpinnings.
The pointy angular motion-machine is said to resemble the Urus concept SUV from 2012, and is being designed initially to be compatible with the battery pack and electric motors of a hybrid set up, though a hybrid drive-train reportedly wont be available when the car goes on sale. The SUV is also destined to be all-wheel-drive only, despite the recent rear-wheel-drive Huracan variant.
Autocar also claims that we can expect a hardcore variant, as well as a more luxury-oriented edition of the SUV once it goes on sale.
The shift from a two-digit cylinder engine doesn’t seem to unsettle the brand moving forward, with Winkelmann quoted as saying:
“It will be a true Lamborghini because it will be the fastest among the SUVs. We will have the most powerful engine and will have the car that is going to be a real super sports SUV. It has to keep the balance between matching the DNA of the brand, that is being a car that is really driveable and also have a lot of off-road capability, but the driving on the roads is much more important.”
Expect to see the finished product at either the Geneva or Frankfurt motor-show in late 2017, or early 2018.
Contact the author at email@example.com or @WestbrookTweets.


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News coverage about Bon-Ton Stores (NASDAQ:BONT) has been trending somewhat negative recently, according to Alpha One Sentiment Analysis. The research firm, a subsidiary of Accern, ranks the sentiment of press coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources. Alpha One ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Bon-Ton Stores earned a media sentiment score of -0.04 on Alpha One’s scale. Alpha One also assigned press coverage about the company an impact score of 62 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat likely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near future.
Here are some of the news stories that may have effected AlphaOne Sentiment Analysis’s rankings:
- Bon-Ton Stores Inc (BONT) Releases Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $1.11 EPS (americanbankingnews.com)
- Edited Transcript of BONT earnings conference call or presentation 18-May-17 2:00pm GMT (finance.yahoo.com)
- The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2017 Results (finance.yahoo.com)
- Bon-Ton reports 1Q loss (finance.yahoo.com)
- Stock Futures Fall as Plot Thickens in Trump-Russia Scandal (finance.yahoo.com)
Bon-Ton Stores (NASDAQ:BONT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 18th. The company reported ($2.86) EPS for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($1.75) by $1.11. The business had revenue of $553.02 million for the quarter.
About Bon-Ton Stores
The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc is a department store operator. The Company operates through two segments: stores and eCommerce (its Internet Websites). The Company offers a range of brand-name fashion apparel and accessories for women, men and children. It operates approximately 270 stores in over 26 states in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains under the Bon-Ton, Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson’s, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s and Younkers nameplates, encompassing a total of approximately 25 million square feet.
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Forex Association of Pakistan chairman Malik Bostan has said the State Bank of Pakistan’s measures are increasing the black marketing of dollars and pushing people to illegal money changers and Hawala and Hundi traders.
He urged the government to give them a “freehand” to expand the foreign exchange market. The SBP policies have proved to be ineffective in curbing the dollar’s illegal trade and we need to learn these lessons now, he added.
Currently, the dollar is being traded at Rs5 higher than the cash-free market.
Hundi Hawala has also been active and the dollar is being sold at Rs200, Bostan said.
Hawala is an illegal financial system that runs parallel to banking channels. This is how it works: person A has to receive money from person B. Both of them live in different cities and don’t want to use a banking channel for the transaction. In such a scenario, B will tell A to go to C, a Hawala agent who lives in the same city as A and give his Hawala (which means reference in Urdu). C hands the money to A. B makes the payment to D, who is connected with C. The hawala operators charge a fee for their services.
“If we analyze the data from last three months our worker remittances have dropped drastically; it dropped from Rs3b to Rs2.40b,” he said.
This is a big loss for us and the main reason is Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s monthly import, he said, is $500 million which they import from Pakistan, Iran, and China. But since their reserves have been frozen they have been buying Pakistan’s dollars and making settlements with the black market and Hundi Hawala.
Our import bill in August was $5.5b and now it has ballooned to $8b, Pakistan has been paying Afghanistan $1b every month.
Bostan has suggested that exporters should have been allowed to trade in the Pakistani rupee so it won’t burden the local market.
The problem is how to bring dollars earned from exports from Afghanistan since the banking channels in the country are not working.
The SBP allows Afghan traders to submit payments in advance with banks in Pakistan and get e-forms. There are two problems with this approach: there’s a shortage of dollars in Afghanistan and bringing cash from Afghanistan is a huge risk.
Local traders have figured out a way around for this. They buy dollars from the local market in Pakistan and submit them to banks to obtain e-forms. They receive the payment for such shipments through Hawala. This is for Pakistani products such as wheat, cement etc. that are exported to Afghanistan.
There are several goods that are first imported to Pakistan and then exported to Afghanistan. For such items, people sitting in Pakistan buy dollars from the local market but receive payments for it from Dubai through Hawala.


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After news that Chick-fil-A would cut its donations to three Christian charities, Rev. Franklin Graham decided to pick up the phone and call the company’s CEO, Dan Cathy, to find out exactly what was going on.
“Has Chick-fil-A caved? Some are saying they’ve rolled over, that they’ve conceded to the LGBTQ protests because they released a statement about their charitable giving. They announced that in 2020 they’re giving to fight hunger and homelessness and support education. What’s wrong with that?” Graham wrote in a Facebook post.
“Dan was very clear that they have not bowed down to anyone’s demands, including the LGBTQ community. They will continue to support whoever they want to support,” he continued. “They haven’t changed who they are or what they believe. Chick-fil-A remains committed to Christian values. Dan Cathy assured me that this isn’t going to change.”
Graham went on to note that the LGBT community would only truly be happy with Chick-fil-A if they were open on Sundays, flew rainbow flags, and used all their charitable giving to help LGBT groups.
“Their hatred for Chick-fil-A is rooted in founder Truett Cathy’s strong stand for biblical “traditional” values and his desire to honor God,” he said.
Graham said he hopes “all those who jumped to the wrong conclusion about” Chick-fil-A read his post.
While the conversation may have reassured Graham, others were not so easily convinced.
Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, said Graham did a “huge disservice” by not asking more questions about the company’s “betrayal and capitulation to the LGBT agenda.”
“While Dan Cathy may say the company has the same values, the company’s statements and actions tell a different story,” Staver said, pointing to the company expanding its partnership with Covenant House, a group he says “celebrates homosexuality, transgenderism, and the entire LGBTQ agenda.”
(Opinion) Mat Staver responds to Franklin Graham: Chick-fil-A is now funding pro-LGBT group https://t.co/ug2Oy2ECi5— The Christian Post (@ChristianPost) November 21, 2019


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Mobile rewards and advertising platform Kiip is hoping to put a spin on online offers with its new self-serve platform.
Tuesday’s launch of the Kiip Self-Serve platform, following a five-month beta period, is intended to enable marketers to serve targeted offers to consumers who complete an activity or other action on a mobile app.
The platform works in conjunction with Kiip’s Precision Moments Targeting product, which uses an algorithm to help brands deliver their offers to “quality customers,” according to Armando Osuna, director of product partnerships at Kiip.
“Our goal is less about driving traffic from people who are just interested in receiving a discount,” Osuna said. “We’re helping marketers deliver rewards to users who are likely to keep using the app and build a relationship with them.”
The offers appear only after a user has completed an action, such as reaching a new high score on a game or completing a workout on an exercise app. Brands can choose to reward users with a discount or other offer to drive further engagement.
Advertisers can target the offers based on demographic data, location, redemption history, time of day and what the company refers to as a “neural net”— a machine-learning process that delivers certain rewards based on the client’s first-party data and lookalike audiences.
To claim the offer, users have to submit an email address and the offer will be delivered to their inbox — an ideal redemption method, said Nicole Jacob, director of online acquisition at the fashion and beauty ecommerce site BeachMint.
“What we like about Kiip is that people can quickly accept an offer on their phone and look at it later on a tablet or laptop where they’re more likely to make a purchase on the larger screen,” Jacob said. “From a consumer’s perspective, the reward component is also important since people are not necessarily expecting an offer, unlike going to a daily deals site specifically for a coupon.”
The San Francisco-based Kiip’s other clients include Hulu, Hotels.com, Proflowers, Shutterfly and BarkBox. Since its debut three years ago, Kiip has raised approximately $15.4 million in funding. However, the in-app advertising space is growing increasingly competitive and Kiip faces competition from data giant Facebook as well as other startups that offer in-game ad platforms like Mediabrix and Tap Me.


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Furniture.com a case study for e-tail problems
The long trail of complaints has led directly to Brooks, the 37-year-old chief executive who came to Furniture.com just before Christmas 1998. The former marketing star at German conglomerate Bertelsmann was recruited to transform a local furniture store, Empire Furniture Showroom, into a pure-play online venture.
Steve Rothschild, whose family founded Empire 50 years ago, was banking that it could operate more cost-effectively than brick-and-mortar rivals. It was a familiar plan: The Web would eliminate costly inventory buildup, the thinking went, because Furniture.com could transmit orders directly to the manufacturers and arrange for goods to be shipped straight to customers.
Brooks appeared to be the perfect candidate to lead the charge. His resume listed a Harvard MBA as well as management positions at music mail-order company BMG Direct and teen media firm Channel One Network. He was hired as Furniture.com's vice president of marketing and became CEO after only a month.
Early on, Brooks seemed organized, supportive and accessible, if not a little bookish, one former executive said.
Brooks takes charge
"Brooks was fabulous. He listened, he was supportive, and he turned the team into a family," said one executive who left the company last month. Another described the CEO as "a process man...a numbers kind of guy who likes working from charts and diagrams."
MotherNature's Barach, who first suggested that Furniture.com hire Brooks, cites many positive moves by the chief executive. He was instrumental, for instance, in sealing a deal to buy the Furniture.com domain name for $1 million--a steep price but one deemed well worth paying for marketing, identification and other benefits.
Brooks also was able to persuade several large furniture manufacturers to allow the company to sell their products on its Web site at a time when many were openly hostile toward Internet companies. Initially, the manufacturers had feared that online merchants would undercut traditional retailers on price.
"He is a fine leader, a great guy," Barach said of Brooks, who is also a member of the board. "He's probably aged 10 years in the last four months. I think he's ethical and logical."
By the summer of 1999, Furniture.com was in a groove. It had signed up many of the top furniture makers and had stuffed its coffers with $35 million in third-round financing.
The company's board included members who at the time were considered Net stars, such as Barach and CDNow founder and CEO Jason Olim.
Furniture.com was ready to execute a strategy favored by CMGI, one that was typical of many Internet companies: seize market share quickly through marketing blitzes and go public as soon as possible.
The company announced that it had launched a $5 million national advertising program in June of last year. But somewhere along the way, spending for the campaign ballooned to nearly $30 million. Expensive print and TV ads were bought, including spots on CBS' "60 Minutes" and Fox's "Ally McBeal."
It also began looking for underwriters to help lead it into public markets.
Furniture.com tallied 2 million unique visitors to its site and net sales of $10.9 million in 1999, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in January for an IPO that it was hoped would raise $50 million. By that time, the company had sold $7 million of products in a single month and expected $20 million in sales for the first quarter of 2000, former executives said.
The IPO that didn't happen
Five months later, Goldman bowed out of the undertaking altogether when the stock markets plunged in March--just when Furniture.com had run out of money.
"Brooks said they told us that we weren't ready," a former executive said. "They had heard about our back-end problems and told us to fix them before we went out...and that was it."
Suddenly, Furniture.com found itself without an underwriter when it needed investors badly. It had burned up much of the $76.5 million it received from investors in building brand recognition, and the prospects for an IPO weren't looking any better.
Sources say he isolated himself, issuing orders mostly through senior vice president Carl Prindle and vice president of marketing Kirsten von Hassel. Many believe that this behavior contributed to the division between him and some executive staff members, and some employees complained to their managers that he rarely talked to the rank and file.
As the company's situation worsened, he became increasingly worried about leaks, ordering all paper and computer printouts shredded at the end of the day, according to former members of his executive staff.
"He worried a lot about competitors getting their hands on secrets and talked a lot about loyalty," one former manager said.
Since the beginning of the year, Furniture.com has gone through two rounds of layoffs.
Last month, sources say, the company was preparing to shutter the business. Executives had already met with bankruptcy attorneys and ordered severance checks for the entire staff, former employees said.
Then, in an eleventh-hour miracle, Furniture.com persuaded initial backers to fork over an estimated $27 million by initiating what is known as a "cram-down"--an arrangement that allows companies to attract new investors by making it cheaper to buy a piece of the business. But this practice also dilutes the stakes held by original investors, who must decide whether to pony up more cash or watch their existing holdings shrink.
So CMGI and the other backers decided to invest once again.
Unfortunately, Barach and others said, the $27 million infusion included a loan of between $8 million and $10 million that Furniture.com had already spent. In addition, they estimate that the company still owes manufacturers and other creditors about $10 million. CMGI and the other investors are doling out portions of the money in weekly or biweekly sums, former executives say, and many employees are worried that they can cut off the company at any time.
The last-minute investment apparently wasn't enough to keep high-level executives from resigning last month. Some said they left partly because senior management had intended to lump together customer deposits for products with funds used to pay operating expenses--even though they knew Furniture.com might go out of business, a move that would have frozen all the company's assets.
"Brooks said at a managers' meeting that the customers could get their deposits back from the credit card (companies)," one former executive said. "It's not illegal, but it's highly questionable behavior. Some of us didn't want to be part of it."
When asked about such concerns, Brooks and former board member Joanna Strobe told News.com that they took pains to protect their customers' money in consultation with company attorneys.
A company is allowed to combine operating expenses with money customers offered as deposits in most states, said attorney Keith Shapiro, president of the American Bankruptcy Institute. But the rules change when companies are at risk of closing.
"A company that is going out of business and takes deposits raises serious questions concerning deceptive trade practices," Shapiro said.
Regardless of how it handles its accounting, the bottom line for Furniture.com's future remains unclear. The company has fewer than 100 employees, down from a peak of 248, and has seen so much turnover that it recently contacted people who had been laid off to see if they would come back to work, a source said.
"The whole industry should have been pulling for Furniture.com. It would have brought new excitement and aggressive growth to a kind of stodgy business," this source said. "Now, the whole industry is saying, 'See, I told you so.'"
| Furniture.com faces
Risk Returns With a Vengeance
Interview with Furniture.com CEO Andrew Brooks


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Shelby County Government has launched a new program to help county residents deal with the high cost of prescription medications. Through a partnership with the National Association of Counties (NACo), the free Prescription Discount Card program provides area residents with a card that is saving consumers across the country an average of 24 percent off the retail price of prescription medications.
The card has many benefits. It is easy to get one and can be used by those who do not have insurance or by those who have prescriptions not covered by insurance. The card can also be used to save money on some pet medications. It is accepted at 65,000 pharmacies nationwide including all the major chains like Wal-Mart, CVS/Pharmacy, Walgreens, Giant, Safeway, and Rite Aid. The participating pharmacies also include the majority of community-based, independent pharmacies.
“Recognizing the difficulties many of our residents face when trying to pay for their health care needs, we are happy to be able to provide them with the Prescription Discount Card,” said Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr. “This card offers significant savings on prescription medications,” added Mayor Luttrell.
The free discount cards may be used by all Shelby County residents, regardless of age, income or existing health coverage. The Shelby County Government Prescription Discount Cards are available at pharmacies throughout Shelby County.
The discount cards can also be printed from the Internet at www.nacorx.org. Residents can also locate the nearest participating pharmacy from the same website or call toll-free at 1.877.321.2652 for assistance with the program.
Shelby County is one of 1350 county governments across the nation using the prescription card. NACo officials say the cards have saved users more than $550 Million since the program began in 2005.
“We’re pleased to work with counties around the country to bring this important program to their residents,” said NACo President Linda Langston, County Supervisor, Linn County, IA. “By working with our member counties, we are better positioned to develop programs that specifically target the needs of our nation’s counties. The Prescription Discount Card program is just one example of what we hope to accomplish.” The program is administered by CVS Caremark.


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Twitter makes reporting trolls simpler, cracks down on repeat offenders
Within the ongoing battle agains trolls, abusive customers and different rule-breakers, Twitter has expanded the way it can try and squash tweet-based mostly troubles. If somebody is impersonating one other by way of a Twitter account, or leaking delicate private knowledge, anybody can now report it — not simply whoever is affected by it. Maybe extra importantly, new “enforcement actions” will permit the corporate to cope with common hassle-makers: people who merely create a brand new Twitter account when their earlier one will get closed down.
The weblog publish does not go into element, however apparently a banned consumer might have to supply up a telephone quantity to Twitter to start out utilizing the service once more. Whereas it is a stronger transfer towards trolls, the official weblog posts stops in need of saying it’s going to ban repeat offenders outright. The corporate advised the Washington Submit it is now tripled the dimensions of the group that works with customers who’ve been abused. These modifications begin rolling out right now, and can unfold to all customers within the subsequent few weeks.


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Coronavirus Impacts on Promo Products Industry: The Latest on Supplier Expectations, Factory Disruptions and Uncertainty
Since our last report just a little over two weeks ago, the death toll from coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China has risen to 2,009, with a total of 74,185 reported cases. The good news is that, according to The Guardian, the recovery rate in some provinces has risen to 40 percent, but in some it's still as low as 15 percent.
Aside from the global concern for the loss of life and spread to other countries and continents, sourcing from China has been difficult for companies, including those in the promo products industry, as well as retail. For example, German athletic apparel Puma warned that its first-quarter financial results would likely be affected by the outbreak.
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council even went as far as postponing all of its trade show events, pushing the Hong Kong Gifts and Premium Fair from April to July this year.
We also noted in our previous coverage that coronavirus probably won't spread through shipping containers from China, due to the nature of the illness. Despite misinformation on the internet, that remains the case, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC's official guidance still reads:
In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures. Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread most often by respiratory droplets. Currently there is no evidence to support transmission of 2019-nCoV associated with imported goods and there have not been any cases of 2019-nCoV in the United States associated with imported goods.
That said, factory disruptions are still ongoing as China works to contain the spread of the virus. Some suppliers are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and things are getting back to something resembling business as usual.
"We are happy to report that all of our team members in China are doing well, with most having returned to work," Melissa Ralston, chief marketing officer for BIC Graphic, said in a statement. "Our Asia-based teams are working from home with our Hong Kong associates returning to the office in various shifts this week. Our Shenzhen office remains closed until next week."
Ralston added that, as factories reopen, some shipments will leave China in the beginning of March, with more leaving in the following weeks as factories catch up with demand.
Dr. Tai Lin, president and CEO of Ariel Premium Supply, had a similar forecast, though he believes shipments will be a bit further behind the early-March projections.
"The earliest date that any factory will open the production line is the end of February," he said. "Some said the first week of March, depending on the areas. Communications with factories are OK so far [now] that some of their office workers can access emails. The earliest shipment out of China is around the end of April, according to the schedule above."
Logo Included's Shenzhen factory is also up to running at around 50 percent, but is facing the issue of the government limiting congregating in large numbers to limit possible spread of the coronavirus.
"We see about one half of our partners' factories are open," Alex Harrod, president of Logo Included, told Promo Marketing. "Most of the office workers are working from home. We expect more to open next week and things to get back to normal within the next two to three weeks, barring any further spread of nCoV19."
HPG said in a statement that it did not anticipate significant delays if the situation improves in the next month, and that it has been in daily contact with its suppliers. The company is also taking steps to minimize impacts in the short run.
"To ensure that any delays are minimized, our brands will air-freight products to meet demand, if necessary, at no extra cost to our distributors," the statement reads. "Additionally, HPG’s customer service teams are constantly updated on inventory levels, to ensure delivery expectations are set accurately. Any new product launch dates have been postponed until HPG can be certain of availability.
Other suppliers were not as optimistic. Paul Lage, president of IMAGEN Brands, said in a statement that the company had, like many suppliers, ramped up inventory levels prior to the Chinese New Year, helping to avoid any short-term supply issues for its products. But he cautioned that the situation certainly seems worse than initially expected.
"We want to be proactive and start the conversation about the impact of the coronavirus," said Lage. "The situation is evolving in China and around the world. One of the questions is how is this going to impact our business? We have been in contact with our vendors and they realize there will be some issues. Many of the factories are still not open. We anticipate that many might resume their regular operations in early March. Others may not reopen until April. In the meantime, orders for their products are still coming in and they are starting to accumulate some significant backlogs. Therefore, this potential disruption may last until early summer until we all get through this issue."
Lage also said drinkware, umbrellas, tech products and bags would likely be the product categories most affected, and that IMAGEN Brands was looking for alternative sourcing options for those categories.
"We do have alternatives for our cotton products and do not see them being impacted at this time," he added. "This is an industry issue and all suppliers that source product in China and surrounding countries will be experiencing the same issues."
Forced travel restrictions and quarantines
The restrictions on travel have been one of the biggest things keeping factories from getting back to full capacity. Jeff Lee, vice president of STOPNGO Line, said that the company had to work around the travel restrictions and make things work as best it could given the situation.
"Once we understood how China was attempting to contain the outbreak, our next step was to look into our supply chain," Lee said. "While none of our factories overseas are located in the outbreak epicenter of the Wuhan area, the containment measures China has put in place have severely limited the production output of most factories throughout the country. In the short term there will not be a significant impact towards our supply chain due to the large inventory we carry, but if the situation does not improve over the next couple of weeks and months, the impact will begin to show."
Currently, Chinese workers who travel from certain parts of the country to work are subject to a 14 day quarantine, which Lee says has kept a lot of workers from returning to factories at all. He added that he and STOPNGO Line have dealt with production delays in the past, but called this situation "unprecedented."
"Managing inventory levels and working closely with our factories to re-prioritize production is very important at this point," he said. "Per our normal forecasting, we had already built in an inventory buffer due to normal holiday delays."
The big picture
Business and financial bottom lines aside, Harrod also underlined the main concern for him and many of his colleagues, which is ensuring the health of employees and their families.
"During this time, it is easy to get caught up on the business side of the equation worrying about orders and deadlines, but we have to remember that real people’s lives are at stake, and our first concern is for the health and wellbeing of our employees, friends and everyone in China," he said. "We know there will be some unavoidable delays throughout our supply chain for the next two to three weeks, however we are working diligently to minimize the effects on our distributor partners."
Right now, uncertainty is dictating a lot of the problems. As China works to contain the spread every way it can, including forced quarantines, and as workers worry about the possibilities of contracting it at work, the problems for companies that source from China grow exponentially.
"Everyone is holding [their] breath now, as nobody really knows the true situation of the virus' spread," said Lin. "One of the factories, not Ariel's factory, opened the production line last week, then immediately closed after one day [of] operation, because more than 100 workers were infected, according to the news report in Asia."
Most of these affected companies are seeing progress as Chinese officials work to contain the spread, but everything is still just a forecast or estimate of when things get back to anything close to full speed. Even companies as big as Puma can't give definite answers.
"Given the current uncertainty around the virus, it is, of course, impossible to forecast its impact on the business," Puma CEO Bjørn Gulden said, according to Just Style.
"Ultimately, our approach may impact our finances," HPG said in its statement. "But we believe moments like this call for compassion above all else. All over the world families have been separated, lives have been lost and the future for many is uncertain. With this reinforced perspective, we are especially grateful to be in a more fortunate position on this side of the world—and are committed to doing everything in our power to ease the burdens of our friends, families and partners on the other side of the world. We look forward to brighter days ahead."